1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to interactive television systems and more particularly to means for inserting interactive content into television programs through applications executed in the set-top box of a television system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The emerging technology of interactive television systems holds a promise of allowing a television set to provide various new means for marketing products and services to viewers. Interactive television systems are typically capable of displaying text and graphic images to facilitate interaction with a user in addition to the normal video associated with a television program stream. Proposed features of interactive television accommodate a variety of marketing, entertainment and educational capabilities such as allowing a user to interact with television programs by ordering advertised products or services, competing against contestants in a game show, or requesting specialized information regarding a particular program.
Typically, the interactive functionality is controlled by a set-top box connected to the television set. The set-top box receives television programs and interactive applications through typical broadcast channels, such as cable television (CATV) or direct satellite broadcasts. The interactive application may be designed to function in response to signals in the broadcast or actions taken by the viewer. The interactive functionality is displayed upon the television set screen and may include icons or menus to allow a user to make selections via the television""s remote control.
It is desirable in the marketing of products or services to maximize the amount of time which a viewer spends watching a particular program associated with the marketed products or services. Manufacturers and service providers advertise during television programs in an attempt to reach the greatest possible number of viewers. These advertisements are designed to attract and retain the attention of viewers, usually within a given demographic.
It is highly desirable in the marketing of products and services, as well as in the marketing of individual television programs, to be able to utilize the functionality of interactive television systems to attract and retain the viewer""s attention. Interactive functionality in a television system helps further marketing goals by allowing the viewer to participate in the advertisement or television program. Because the viewer must pay attention to the televised material in order to interact, the interactive functionality of a television system provides means by which the viewer can be encouraged to watch and listen to the television programs and advertisements and thereby increase his or her exposure to the marketing material.
There are various examples of interactive applications which are directed toward marketing products and services to consumers. One example is a televised buying service in which a series of products are displayed through a television program and the viewer utilizes the interactive functions of the television system to purchase the displayed products. Another example is an interactive game show in which a viewer watches studio contestants participate while various graphics are displayed to present questions or possible responses to the viewer. The viewer may interact by using a remote control to register responses within the set-top box, or the response of the user may be communicated to a service provider via a modem connection or other suitable means.
The types of interactive programs described above may be directed to particular demographic groups among television viewers. More particularly, they may be directed to older viewers who are likely to watch game shows or who can purchase the advertised products. There are some viewers, however, who are less likely to be interested in these types of shows and who may therefore be less likely to be influenced by the associated interactive applications. Children, for example, generally are not authorized to use televised buying services, and may not be interested in the subject matter of a game show designed for adults. As a result, they may not be affected by these types of interactive television marketing. It would therefore be highly desirable to design a new means to utilize the interactive functionality of a television system which is more likely to attract such viewers.
The problems outlined above are in large part solved by a system and method for promoting viewer interaction in a television system in accordance with the present invention. One embodiment of the inventive system and method comprises an interactive television system which displays a genie associated with a particular channel or program. The genie reacts to certain actions taken by the user and prompts the user to provide responses or take certain other actions. The genie may require that the user periodically tune in to the associated television program or channel to keep the genie from getting sick or experiencing other undesirable effects. The user may control certain characteristics of the genie, such as the way it dresses, and the characteristics of the genie may in turn affect the future actions of the genie. The genie may be used in certain promotions, such as a lottery in which the broadcast service provider selects and retrieves the genie of a particular user so that the genie can be displayed in a broadcast. The user whose genie was so selected could then contact the broadcast service provider to receive a prize.
The viewer""s interaction may range from simply watching a television program to actively providing input to the system. In one embodiment, the system comprises a set-top box which is configured to execute an interactive application responsive both to signals conveyed with a television program and to inputs from the viewer. The application is configured to display the customizable genie character described above on the television screen. The genie is generally representative of the overall level of the viewer""s interaction with the television program and the associated application.
The method and apparatus are intended to increase the likelihood that viewers in the targeted demographic groups will watch television programs and/or advertisements and participate in associated promotions. Accordingly, the method in its broadest sense encompasses the broadcast of a program from a remote station to a broadcast station operated by a broadcast service provider which in turn broadcasts the program to a viewer. Typically, an interactive application is time-multiplexed into the television program transmission by the broadcast service provider and both the program and the application are transmitted to a set-top box in the home of the viewer. The application is received and executed by the set-top box, which also stores data reflecting the viewer""s viewing history. Based upon the viewing history data, the application generates a cartoon character such as a genie in the television display. The characteristics of the genie are therefore maintained even though the application may be transient. Some of the characteristics of the genie character, such as clothing and hair color, may be customizable by the viewer while other characteristics, such as the health of the genie, are controlled by the application. The application-controlled characteristics of the genie may be dependent upon the viewing history data, and are designed to encourage viewing of the associated programs and advertisements and participation in the associated promotions.